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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23888167">Cycles</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resilicns/pseuds/Resilicns'>Resilicns</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Death Note (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:47:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23888167</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resilicns/pseuds/Resilicns</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>At the beginning of time, there was a King. A King without a castle, court, or subjects...He could mold the world around him, but why? What reason did he have to do anything when there was no one else there?</p><p>___</p><p> </p><p>A unique spin on retelling the story of Death Note and our understanding of Shinigami as beings.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cycles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     At the beginning of time, there was a King. A King without a castle, court, or subjects. His kingdom was only an endless desert of grey sand, bones, and rock. It was a lonely existence. Days meant nothing to an immortal, formless being. He could mold the world around him, but why? What reason did he have to do anything when there was no one else there?</p><p><br/>
     One day, the King made his decision. He couldn’t create life, he couldn’t make a companion from nothing, but he could make something from himself. Splitting his existence in half, he pondered what kind of companion he would want. There were too many options, too many choices, too many decisions, and too little resources. When he finally brought it down to five ideas, he realized he didn’t have to choose. He took the half of himself he had broken up, dividing it further into five pieces, one for each idea. Someone with a strong sense of justice, someone with a strong sense of desire, someone intelligent and calm, someone who can love, and someone who was strong. Iustitia, Glutton, Logicae, Libidine, and Ira- the King’s new companions, advisors, and council members.</p><p><br/>
     They were so much more than single ideas, however. Iustita had a strong sense of justice, but he also was observant and compassionate. Glutton desired, but he also desired for others to have things, too. Logicae was intelligent, but he was also firm and steadfast, holding to his ideals. Libidine knew how to love, and she loved with everything she had, but she was also creative. Ira was strong, but he was also protective of those he cared for.</p><p><br/>
     The six Shinigami were incredibly close, spending the next two centuries building and creating, playing games, and discussing ideas. When Libidine came to the group with a new idea, they were expecting a new game or structure, like what she usually brought to the discussion. However, her suggestion was quite different.</p><p>“We should make more Shinigami, like us!”</p><p>     The group was baffled, initially. They all knew the King was only able to create them out of himself. But the more they thought over it, the more they realized how powerful they were when separated like this. On his own, the King had been unable to build towering, endless sculptures, but, when the Shinigami worked together, such a task was easy to achieve. They set to work, crafting more Shinigami to populate their world. None of them had the same level of power as the King and his Council, but they were all unique individuals.</p><p>     As time went on, each individual of the Council developed unique relationships between themselves and their creations. The world was so lively, so full. It was absolutely enchanting. Many discoveries and creations were made in this time of enlightenment, but perhaps the most significant was the discovery that Logicae made.<br/>
<br/>
     Like his peers, he spent a great deal of time testing the limits of his powers, but his sight was focused outwards. Was it truly just them? Was there more than their world? The answer was found when Logicae managed to create a portal, a window into a drastically different world. Another realm. It was so bright and colorful, full of different creatures. The most fascinating of them all were humans. They were sociable, just like the Shinigami. They created, just like the Shinigami. </p><p>     He eagerly shared this discovery with the King and the rest of the Council. Libidine was thrilled, immediately enamored by the different cloths and skins these new beings draped themselves in. Glutton was fascinated by their eating habits, finding the food in their own realm disgusting and bland, and seeing this new realm’s food as exciting and vibrant. The King was neutral to it all, but he did find their games and creations amusing. Iustitia and Ira, however, were displeased. Ira’s immediate concern was this species' violent tendencies, viewing them as a potential threat to them all. Iustitia saw them as ants, utterly worthless, and their penchant for hurting and taking from each other infuriated him. The entire group agreed to keep this discovery to themselves and never interfere or step foot into this new realm. Yet, like many things, this was not to last.</p><p> </p><p>     The first to die was Logicae. In the weeks and days before, he moved more slowly, spoke less. He seemed so…tired. And then, before the King and Council’s very eyes, he disintegrated into dust. Horrified and distraught with this loss, the Shinigami frantically tried to find out why this had happened, where he had gone, and if he could return. Their answer came when some of their own creations faded as well. They all had a limited amount of time. The King admitted that Logicae had been the first. Faced with the reality of their impending demise, the group of friends descended into grief.</p><p> </p><p>     That is, until Iustitia approached the King. He came bearing an idea, a way to save them all and prevent this from happening ever again.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s so simple, my King. We craft a way to take time from those creatures in the other realm and use it to extend our own. They multiply at an astonishing rate, in such a way that we would never fear running out of time.”</p><p>     Still mourning, the King could do nothing but agree with his friend’s observation and suggestion. Together, they created a book. A book that would end a life with only a name and, at Iustitia’s suggestion, a face. Humans tend to share names, after all, and there was no harm in specificity. They crafted more and more, enough for each Shinigami to have their own. Many, including Libidine, were averse to the idea. However, the fear of losing those around them and/or themselves was motivation enough.</p><p>     The loss of their dear friend, however, was impossible to recover from, and, as time went on, they grew distant. After a century, a disturbing trend began to arise. Humans were dying at an unusual and alarming rate. Each subject of the kingdom had their notebooks searched, but not a single one was found responsible. Iustitia was enraged. His creation, <em>his creation</em> was being abused. A creation made in honor of Logicae was being used for <em>amusement</em>. When he went to search the Council’s books, the culprit was found. Glutton had manufactured a plague, slaughtering thousands and thousands of humans for fun. Fun. <em>Fun</em>. Iustitia’s fury grew as the two argued, shouting and assaulting each other in a conflict of ideals and morals. When their tempers hit their peak, and Iustitia could take no more, he drew his notebook and wrote Glutton’s name.</p><p>     The pain the King and his Council felt was immeasurable. Drowning in his misery, using his emotions to strengthen himself, he wrote a rule for the books into existence.</p><p><br/>
<em>The <strong>human</strong> whose name is written in this note shall die.</em>
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